Osprey Gunpowder Organic Green Tea

Information: Organic tea is produced without the input of chemical fertilizers or pesticides and herbicides. Unfortunately the yield per acre is lower and quite often quality can suffer compared to when fertilizers and others inputs are utilized. Nevertheless with good manufacturing techniques the cup characteristics can be maintained at a very high level - such is the case with this tea. This tea is a classic top quality Gunpowder (marked as ‘Osprey’ the high soaring bird of prey, the pinnacle) with good ‘green tea’ taste properties - slightly vegetative but refreshing and clean.

Superior quality gunpowder tea comes from the province of Zhejiang in China and from Taiwan. This Particular tea comes from a tea estate west of Hangzhou in the hill country of Zhejiang province. The green leaf for this tea is plucked during April, corresponding to the time of the best quality. Legend has it that the name Gunpowder was given by an young English clerk who thought the tiny rolled green balls looked like gunpowder. The Chinese name for Gunpowder Tea is Siaou Chu, which literally means large leaf. Rolling the leaf has two effect on quality of the tea. It forces to the surface flavorful juices that otherwise would remain in the leaf. Rolling also forces out water, thus helping tom reduce the tea’s final moisture content. The pellet retains its shape during firing and keeps its freshness longer than tea not manufactured in pellet form.

Hot tea brewing method:  When preparing by the cup, this tea can be used repeatedly - about 3 times. The secret is to use water that is about 180’F or 80’C. Place 1 teaspoon of tea in your cup, let the tea steep for about 1-3 minutes and then begin enjoying a cup of enchantment - do not remove the leaves from the cup. Once the water level is low - add more water, and so on and so on - until the flavor of the tea is exhausted. Look at the pattern of the leaves in the brew, not only do they foretell your fortune but you can see the bud and shoots presenting themselves, looking like they are about to be plucked.

Alternatively as with all top quality teas, scoop 2-4 teaspoons of tea into the teapot, pour in boiling water that has been freshly drawn (previously boiled water has lost most of its oxygen and therefore tends to be flat tasting), steep for 2-4 minutes (to taste), stir (the leaves will sink), pour into your cup but do not add milk or sugar since green tea is enjoyed ‘straight-up’.

Iced tea brewing method:  (to make 1 liter/quart) : Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. [A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.]